Luggage carrier for automobiles



ug F. J. LAHER LUGGAGE CARRIER FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Feb. 26, 1925 atboz un panying drawings.

Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRANK J. LAHER, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

LUGGAGE canamn Fort AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed February 26, 1925. Serial No. 11,763.

The main object of my invention is to rovide a luggage carrier for an automo ile, which is adapted to be quickl and easily at tached to any standard at automobile bumper, and also adapted to form with the latter a rigid structure capable of supporting anyv reasonable load without requiring an auxiliary support.

A further object of my invention is to.

provide a rack-like attachment of this character and, in connection therewith, brackets which support the rack between its front and rear ends, so as to project beyond both sides of the bumper. the weight of the luggage rack, and the load carried thereby, to be more evenly balanced over the bumper than if the bumper was extended entirel to one side thereof.

A further 0 ject of m vide a luggage carrier t at is so'constructe'd that it may be fastened to the bumper bar in such a manner that the resiliency thereof will be unafiected.

I carry the broad idea of. my invention into practice in a luggage carrierattachment for automobiles comprising a rack, and means located between the front and rear ends of the said. rack adapted for fastenin the latter to a bar extending crosswise o and spacedfrom' the one end of the vehicle, said means being movable relativel to said bar, thereby to .vary the distance w ich'said rack projects beyond said bar.

\ Other details of construction and the mode of operation are hereinafter described in greater detail with reference to the accom- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary pros ective view of the rear end of an automo ile and the bumper thereon carrying 111 improved luggage carrier, the automobi e proper being shown in dotted outline;

Fig- 2 is a plan view of my luggage carrier clamped tothe bumper bar;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and .hows the clamping devices or brackets which fasten the rack to the bumper bar; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. v

M luggage carrier at is adapted to be fastene to any standard flat automobile bump er 6 and is especially arranged to be carried on the rear bumper, as shown in Fig. 1., Said bumper b is shown as comprising the bumper Thisconstruction permits them in which the bra invention is to pro-- bar 6' and the resilient mounting member b Said member is carried by brackets '0', which are fastened in turn to the frame members d of the automobile.

Said luggage carrier rack comprises a frame or body e and bracket members f and The frame is preferably rectangular and as a border port-ion g which is perfectly angular in section, as shown in Fig. 4; one web g thereof is upstanding and constitutes a vertical flange encompassin the remainder of the frame. The other we 9 extends inwardly and constitutes a ledge upon which the slats h are fastened. Two pairs of slats h are spaced relatively close togetherso as to 'provlde slots and iui'deways 5 between 0 ets f and f are carried.

1 Said members 72. are arranged atoppositeends of said frame and one bracket 7 and one bracket f constitutes a single clampin device. Each bracket is fastened to the ody by bolts j, the heads of which are larger in diameter than the width of the. slot i, and nuts j are adapted to be tightened to fix each bracket to the frame. 2'

Each bracket 7 and f is thus independent of, the other and thus said brackets can be spaced closer together or farther apart to accommodate bumper bars, which vary in thickness. Said brackets also can be spaced a'lon said slot z'so as to permit the frame to to accommodate the varying spaces between the bumper bar and its mounting, and with other devices such as a spare tire, carried at the rear of the automobile.

The brackets f and f are L-shaped and one flange thereof is fastened against the under side of the slats h. The other flange constitutes a pendent leg. Said legs are provided with a lurality of holes I: and in in the brackets and f, respectivel so as to permit said legs to straddle and e fixed to any bumper bar of any reasonable width. This permits mylugga ecarrier to be fixed to any of the standard at-bar-type bumpers which are sold in the market at the present time, even though their bumper bars are made of one or two members or whether said members are parallel or not, relatively to each other. v

A bolt Z passes throu and lo that re ister wit each other and thus hold the brac ets tightly against the sides of the bumper.

h any of the holes 70 I I claim:

1. A luggage carrier attachment, of the character described, for vehicles comprising a rack provided at its lateral sides with spaced contiguous members extending parallel with said lateral sides and supporting brackets inserted between said members.

2. A luggage carrier attachment, of the character described, for vehicles comprising a rack provided at its lateral sides with spaced contiguous, bars extending parallel With said lateral sides, supporting brackets inserted between said bars said supporting brackets consisting of companion L-shaped pieces, the upper ends of which are formed to bear against said bars and their lower ends being pendent, and said ends being provided with holes to receive bolts.

' FRANK J. LAHER, 

